Lankan Angel Network and Ideamart recently presented the #IAMHER Startup Spotlight.
With a panel made up of well-respected industry leaders like Linda Speldewinde, Founder of AOD Colombo and Fashionmarket.lk, Indira Malwatte, Chairperson of Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board, Chitranganie Mubarak, former Chairperson of Sri Lanka’s ICT Agency, Anoji De Silva, Partner at Ernst and Young and Lakmini Wijesundara, Co Founder and CEO of Iron One Technologies, the introductory session of this half-day program focused on the common challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
The audience, comprising female founders of startups, as well as other women entrepreneurs, also received valuable advice on how they could overcome issues and thrive in the local marketplace.
Geared towards building and supporting a gender balanced startup ecosystem, #IAMHER is an initiative by the Lankan Angel Network, Sri Lankan’s largest network of angel investors, and Ideamart, a web-based platform where anyone can utilize telco APIs to create their own services and make it a revenue generating tool. It is the aim of the #IAMHER initiative to foster and give due recognition to women led ventures, while at the same time increasing the participation of female angel investors in the startup ecosystem.
Endorsing the #IAMHER initiative, Linda Speldewinde noted that stories of strong and impactful women entrepreneurs were positive messages that were particularly important today. Women must take the initiative and inspire each other, striving to become change makers instead of being portrayed as victims.
Other women leaders as members, includes Padmaja Ruparel, President of Indian Angel Network; Anarkali Moonesinghe, CEO Sri Lanka of CIMB Investment Bank, Shehara Jayawardana, Group Joint Managing Director of McLarens Group and Tamara Dunne, Project Director at Unity Group (Singapore).
Since its launch in 2012, the Lankan Angel Network has grown to encompass 25 startups, with over Rs. 2 billion invested.
The #IAMHER Startup Spotlight was sponsored by Glitteray, in collaboration with IEEE Women in Engineering Informatics Institute of Technology Affinity Chapter.
Speaking at the event, Indira Malwatte brought in both public- and private-sector viewpoints, urging the assembled audience of young women entrepreneurs to be professional, pursue their dreams, and never let being women become a barrier.
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